45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About

It’s no surprise that every stage in life comes with a different set of worries and challenges. What might come as a surprise, though, is what said set often entails.

Those who’ve already stepped into the third decade of their lives know that adulthood is no exception. Whether it’s finances, health, or other important matters that continuously remind people of themselves—often accompanied by a headache—there’s always something to worry about. If you’re wondering what that something is for different people, scroll down to find out what things our readers were not prepared for in adulthood.

Seeking to learn more about what worries people as adults and how best to deal with it all, Bored Panda turned to an expert in adult development psychology, based in the School of Human Sciences at the University of Greenwich, Dr. Oliver Robinson, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions. Scroll down to find his thoughts in the text below.

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45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About That you don't realise when you're supposed to be an adult. All of the sudden you're just middle aged everything hurts and you still feel like you're waiting for this adult thing to happen

Stephanie Schicker , Dimaberlin / Envato Report

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45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About No matter how old I am I’d feel so young inside.

Eliete Sousa , monkeybusiness / Envato Report

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113points

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45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About When they rearrange the grocery store.

Lisa West , Pixabay / Pexels Report

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106points

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“Adults have an infinite number of potential worries, so the key to adult life is how not to worry about any of them. Worry doesn’t help anything, so is best dispensed with completely,” Dr. Oliver Robinson told Bored Panda in a recent interview. While not worrying is easier said than done, it might be helpful to at least try and stay calm and collected in situations that adulthood throws at you.

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About Being virtually the only person left in your life who remembers anything about your childhood. It’s disorienting

Emma Matthews , ADDICTIVE_STOCK / Envato Report

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45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About The older you get the more invisible you become.

Sue Duca , wirestock / Envato Report

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101points

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According to a recent Ipsos poll, now, in 2024, people tend to worry most about inflation, poverty and social inequality, and crime.

“As adults, we have to face a world where actual tragedies and potential threats are a daily occurrence, to ourselves, to those we know and to the wider world. Happiness is necessarily not a good fit with being aware of the facts of the world, and ironically, trying to be happy as an adult, while being aware of the suffering of others, can create anxiety,” Dr. Robinson pointed out.

“However, it is entirely reasonable, and indeed much recommended, to be calm and composed as an adult in the face of what we learn on the news, or issues and illnesses in our lives or the lives of those we know.

“The first step to staying calm and composed, and thus being of help to others in crisis, is not aiming to be happy. If happiness comes in quiet moments in your life, that is of course a good thing, but happiness genuinely manifests more reliably when you don’t aim for it. A calm and composed person thinks carefully through problems or issues, and does not need to worry.”

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About That you can have pimples and grey hair at the same time.

Kelly Laughter , KostiantynVoitenko / Envato Report

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45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About How expensive it is to just exist. Even after doing all the things I was told to be “successful” like getting good grades and going to college. Also the mental breakdowns, anxiety, and depression.

Megan Marie , davidgyung / Elements Report

Final score:

98points

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45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About The entitlement of some people.

Cathi Eyre Wagner , Prostock-studio / Envato Report

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98points

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Even though such things as your health or the well-being of your loved ones are relevant at pretty much any stage of one’s life, once they reach a certain age, the troubles people focus on the most seem to differ with each age group.

According to the expert in adult development psychology, the main worries for young adults, for instance, are focused most on the future, both their own future and the future of the planet. “They have the burden of trying to carve out a life in a challenging world, and each big decision can be a worry. Their life is full of decisions that change the future. The key issue here is anxiety and feelings of being marginalized.

“Middle-aged adults worry about getting old and the tiring combination of raising children, work and other societal commitments. The key issues here are burnout and tiredness,” he continued.

“Older adults’ main worries are loneliness, losing status and meaning, and losing a place in the world. The key issue here is loss of meaning and purpose.”

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About Not knowing what to cook every day.

Ervin Boer , Prostock-studio / Envato Report

Final score:

97points

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#10

How childish and petty bosses and other adults can be. Some even going out of their own way to ensure others are miserable.

Anthony Holmes Report

Final score:

91points

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#11

That after 40, you have to decide if you’re having indigestion, anxiety attack or heart attack when you have a slight pain

Courtney Litka Report

Final score:

88points

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“One of the great pathologies in modern society is the belief that the meaning of life emerges through hard work and corresponding public success, and that if you work harder and harder, suddenly the meaning of life is solved,” Dr. Robinson said.

“But for most, it is actually love and relationships that bring meaning to life. This was brilliantly evidenced by research on terminally ill patients, where they were asked about their regrets. Two of the main regrets were working too much and not spending enough time with friends. When faced with the end of life, as these terminally ill patients were, the meaning of it becomes more clear.

“So slow down and make sure that your life is well balanced between relationships, family, exercise, leisure and work. For those who are not working, make sure to find activities that give social connection and purpose, such as social hobbies.”

#12

Adults seemed so grown up and mature when I was a child. As an adult... Boy was I wrong.

Mel Robertson Report

Final score:

82points

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#13

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About That life is just about winging it. You never know the answers to everything or have the solutions to everything.

Mariah Sams , look_studio / Envato Report

Final score:

78points

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#14

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About Needing to sleep then not being able to.

Cynthia Kremsner , DC_Studio / Envato Report

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78points

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#15

That apparently not all adults matured past high school

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Final score:

77points

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#16

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About Body aches and pains. Chores, never ending chores. Bills, never ending bills to pay! Adulting is hard.

Cat-White Zoey , YuriArcursPeopleimages / Envato Report

Final score:

76points

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#17

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About How much it will hurt when you lose your parents.

Jessica MacKinnon Allen , vladans / Envato Report

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76points

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#18

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About That you still can’t have as many horses/dogs/cats as you want - or live in a castle.

Ali Singleton , Gerain0812 / Envato Report

Final score:

66points

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#19

That you can have the time or the money but never both at the same time.

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Final score:

63points

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#20

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About How much bras hurt your body by the end of the day, even if they're properly fitted.

Charlene MacKenzie , austinschulz / Envato Report

Final score:

62points

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#21

The idea of working hard, always trying to do what is right,that you win in the end. So very wrong. The good does not overcome all the evil. So hard for me to accept.

Donna Whitaker Report

Final score:

62points

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#22

Realizing how many people youll have to deal with throughout life that are so incompetent.

Anthony Lerro Report

Final score:

62points

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#23

How things that clean other things also need to be cleaned?!

Rebecca Lambert Report

Final score:

59points

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#24

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About Watching your parents age. Seeing them go from young parents to elderly grandparents is….both beautiful and painful.

Amanda Jones , Johnstocker / Envato Report

Final score:

59points

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#25

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About That women are not allowed to get old. They are expected to stay young, thin and perky forever.

Ivona Zelman , mstandret / Envato Report

Final score:

57points

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#26

That you may end up being the most “adult” person you know and other “adults” will look to you in “I need an adult” moments.

Robin Mann Report

Final score:

55points

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#27

Everything going up so much faster than my rate of pay.

Liz O'Neill Report

Final score:

55points

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#28

The Development of allergies at almost 30 when u never had them

China Randle Report

Final score:

55points

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#29

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About That I could afford all the video games but never have time to play them

Jake Brudda , lira_n4 / Envato Report

Final score:

53points

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#30

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About Getting up in a morning with more injuries than u went to bed with

Wendy Donald Mitchelson , Prostock-studio / Envato Report

Final score:

52points

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#31

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About Getting to grips with the reality that nothing really matters and we are all going to die eventually sooner than we expected - we’ll be buried with our very big dreams, expectations and life ambitions that we slowly, every year, gave up on trying to attain. On the flip side, the realization that health and the small moments with loved ones is really all that goes with you to the grave.

Rola Fattal , DisobeyArtPh / Envato Report

Final score:

49points

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#32

How much effort it takes just to take care of yourself and stay alive

Linn OnePower Report

Final score:

47points

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#33

Even when you treat others the way you want to be treated they could not return the favor

Amy Hein-Bavuso Report

Final score:

46points

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#34

How boring it can be. You work, take care of other people, eat, sleep, then wake up and do the same thing the next day and the next. The monotony gets broken when something c****y pops up but you still have those regular obligations.

Olivia Burrell-Jackson Report

Final score:

45points

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#35

You gotta buy YOURSELF gifts
Or no one will

Danit Shaul Report

Final score:

44points

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#36

Having to remember 20+ different passwords

Jonathon Highlander Report

Final score:

44points

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#37

That you are alone and you will never feel safe and secure . The constant worry about everything

Jeje Mochosho Report

Final score:

42points

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#38

Having to work for a living, forever.

Brandon Parker Report

Final score:

42points

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#39

Learning how to navigate childhood traumas

Erika Kristina Report

Final score:

41points

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#40

If you do not agree with EVERYTHING other adults say they hate you.

Kyle Bergman Report

Final score:

39points

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#41

Still worrying about my adult children's safety.

Colleen Wilson Report

Final score:

38points

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#42

You never become an adult, you're only cosplaying one. But no one tells you that as a kid becsuse they are busy cosplaying.

Maya Cheshmedzhieva Report

Final score:

38points

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#43

You need 20 years to learn stuff. That is outdated in 5

Bram Diederik Report

Final score:

37points

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#44

No one told me becoming an old adult would hurt so much

Nicky Eves Report

Final score:

35points

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#45

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About Life itself? How hard it is to be an adult? Being lost and not knowing what to do ?

Yas Mine , YuriArcursPeopleimages / Envato Report

Final score:

32points

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Note: this post originally had 70 images. It’s been shortened to the top 45 images based on user votes.

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What's an adult problem you weren't warned about?

Kate Jones 5 months ago (edited)

How not having children affects not only you but the people in your life. If you know you don't want them, you need to prepare yourself for other people's reactions to that now, including your family. I never really wanted kids. And there's this societal fear if you're a woman that if you don't couple up and have a baby then your life is meaningless. So people end up in bad relationships and full of regrets because they can't just be okay with being by themselves. And a part of me wishes I had a baby, if for no other reason than giving my parents a grandchild. I know I can't have a kid for someone else. But it's still hard- they're obviously sad about it and it affects them. They worry about me being alone when they're gone and I get that. Society doesn't know how to deal with this choice. I'm so tired of being called a cat lady or 'aren't you lonely?' And no... I don't have an amazing job that I chose over family. That's not the only reason to not have them. And no, I don't have dozens of friends that 'fulfill' me. I just didn't want kids, at least not by myself. And I wasn't going to pair up with someone I didn't love just to make a baby I wasn't sure if I even wanted.

12points

Poultry Geist 5 months ago

How hard it can be to scroll bored panda but if I drop my phone ,try to catch it, and accidentally hit the screen I am at the top of the page again 😭

6points

David Fox 5 months ago

The new lingo/street talk......I just don't understand what kids are saying nowadays.

5points

Mike F 5 months ago

Urban Dictionary saves the day. I've had it on my home screen for years.

3points

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Cathy Lemay 5 months ago

How fast you arrive at your so called senior years. You're just going along and minding your business and someone offers you a senior's discount. You, however, should take it. It's a weird feeling because I always said to myself that I'd do this or that down the line but down the line is here and there were things I never got around to. I'm not dead yet but I will never have the nerves to drive now. (for example) Times winged chariot never slows the F down does it?

4points

Sweet Taurus 5 months ago

How stressful it is making big decisions. Am I making the best possible choice? Do I choose to do it now or wait and see if something changes. Or when you finally do make that decision and it ends up being the wrong one even though you were absolutely positive it was the right decision.

Aroace tiger (she/they/he) 5 months ago

I couldn't finish the list it scares me...

Raphapablap 5 months ago

How quickly time passes. When I was a kid, school terms seemed to go on forever. My kid has nearly finished school for the summer and it doesn't seem that long ago that she'd just started that year/grade.

Papa 5 months ago

When I was young I remember older people telling me that time goes by faster as you get older. I thought they were crazy. They weren't.

0points

CD Mills 5 months ago

All of them. My mom wasn't an adult when she passed away at 83 a few years back. She wasn't ever adult-like, she ran from every problem that popped up her entire life. She wasn't responsible with money and more than once we snuck out of town owing back rent and utility bills. I had to figure out adulting on my own.

2points

ZuriLovesYou 5 months ago

Jeez. Sounds like the only saving grace in life is when it ends.

Justme 5 months ago

When you reconnect with people who meant a lot to you when you were younger and you learn that they couldn’t care less.

T.O.S.o.R. 5 months ago

This comes down to 2 categories. 1. Pain 2. Responsibilities Take ibuprofen for the pain. Suck it up an be responsible! It really is that simple.

45 Adult Problems People Wish They Were Warned About

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